Seniors (age 65 years) now have a new Senior SmarTrip card that may be used to ride Metrorail at senior fares, ride free on Ride On buses and some Metrobuses in Montgomery County Monday - Friday between 9:30AM and 3PM or half fare at all other times. The cost of the Senior SmarTrip card is $2. There is no value on the card at the time of purchase. The new Senior SmarTrip Card may be presented to Ride On and Metro operators to ride free during free periods or to get half fare all other times in Montgomery County on most routes. During free times, please do not tap the Senior SmarTrip card on the target on the farebox because a fare will be deducted from the card. Make sure there is value on the card during times of half fare.

Visit any library in Montgomery County, Commuter Store and Montgomery County Treasury and bring proof of age (state ID, birth certificate or passport). A registration form will be completed and you will be sold the new Senior SmarTrip card with information about the card. If you want to ride free from 9:30AM to 3PM Monday - Friday or for half fare all other times on Ride On or Metrobuses, you must present a Senior SmartTrip Card, Metro Senior Reduced Fare Identification Card, or Medicare card along with a photo ID if you don't have the SmartTrip Card. If your current Metro Senior Reduced Fare Identification Card has expired, you have the option to continue to present the Medicare card along with a photo ID or purchase the new Senior SmarTrip card.

For more information, call the MC311 Information Center by dialing 311.

Ride On Monthly Pass

Now Add It To Your SmarTrip. Enjoy the convenience of having Ride On's Monthly Pass on your SmarTrip beginning with the pass for December 2012.

Only $45.00 to ride all month

Good only on Ride On

Paper passes will be discontinued with the January 2013 Monthly Pass.

SmarTrip Is Here!

The SmarTrip card now works on Ride On! This convenient electronic card makes travel on transit in the region seamless and now saves you money. With SmarTrip, travelers can pay for Metrorail, Metrobus, Ride On and parking at Metro stations, all with the convenient touch of a card. Customers can check balances and add money to the card on buses as well as at Metro stations. SmarTrip is a permanent, rechargeable fare card. It's plastic like a credit card and embedded with a special computer chip that keeps track of the value of the card.

Improvements Made to SmarTrip for Ride On Riders

Two changes are coming to Ride On and Metrobus fareboxes beginning today that are intended to make the boarding process a bit faster for bus riders.

For passengers adding value to their SmarTrip card aboard the bus, the first change means it will only take two taps to complete the process versus three previously. On the first tap, passengers can add value. On the second tap, the farebox will add the value to the card and deduct the bus fare in one step. Safeguard features have been added so that riders are not overcharged if they accidently tap their card after adding value, or if they pay their fare first and then add value on board.

The second improvement is a new tone that will sound if a rider's SmarTrip card has less than $1.60 in stored value remaining. The low balance warning tone is intended to remind passengers to add value before they take their next trip to minimize boarding delays.

Riders are encouraged to add value to their SmarTrip cards at Metrorail stations, regional transit stores, select retail locations or the most convenient option: by signing up for Auto Reload at wmata.com/autoreload.

PASSES

Summer Youth Pass $18.00. Available only from June to the end of August. Must be purchased annually.

Ride On accepts the new 7-Day Regional Bus Pass. The Metro Weekly Bus Pass has been replaced with a 7-Day Regional Bus Pass that is loaded onto your SmarTrip Card. Unlike the Weekly Bus Pass that was valid for a calendar week, when you load the new 7-Day Regional Bus Pass onto your SmarTrip Card, it's activated the first time you use it and it's valid for seven consecutive days. The cost is $17.50 for the regular 7-Day Regional Bus Pass and $8.75 for the Senior/Disabled 7-Day Regional Bus Pass. The 7-Day Regional Bus Pass can be loaded onto your SmarTrip Card at any Metro Sales Office, regional transit store or select retail outlets.

Ride On honors MARC Rail weekly or monthly commutation tickets at any stop on any route.

Senior Citizen ID Card There is no longer a non-SmarTrip Senior Citizen ID card. If you want a discount on Metrorail and you don't already have a reduced fare card, you must get a Senior SmarTrip card. If you want to ride buses in Montgomery County for free Monday - Friday from 9:30AM to 3PM or half fare all other times and don't have a Senior SmarTrip card, you must present a Medicare card along with a photo id. You may also show the operator a Senior SmarTrip card or an old (pre 7-08), but still valid, Metro Senior Reduced Fare Identification card.

Exact fare required. RIDE On fare boxes accept coins or bills. Operator does not make change or accept money. With some farebox malfunctions, passenger rides free.

Riders With Disabilities

Disabled customers with valid Metro Disabled identification card ride free Monday - Friday from 9:30AM to 3PM and pay half fare all other times. If a disabled customer has a Metro attendant-eligible ID, an attendant may ride free or half fare with the ID holder as well during those hours.

To obtain this fare, the customer must show bus operators identification issued by Metro.

For consistency with Metro's policy, Ride On offers free rides at all times to MetroAccess certified customers and one companion who must board and alight at the same stop as the customer. Riders must present identification. MetroAccess is the name of the ADA paratransit service for the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. To register or to obtain information about how you may participate in this program, please call MetroAccess at 301-562-5360. For more information, access WMATA's MetroAccess.

National Capital Regional One Day Bus Pass has been eliminated

MONTHLY YOUTH PASS

New Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® Card Now Available

· Ride On is now offering a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card for customers 5 to18 years of age.

· Stored value can be added to the card for usage on Metrorail, Metrobus and other transit agencies that accept SmarTrip® cards.

· Ride On youth passengers will be able to add their monthly Youth pass to the new Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card.

Paper monthly youth passes expired permanently February 28, 2014 and will no longer be used. All youth, K-12 grades, must use the Youth Cruiser SmarTrip Card or cash beginning March 1, 2014.

· The Youth Monthly pass provides kids unlimited rides for only $11 a calendar month on Ride On only, a significant savings over regular fares. Passengers who use both Ride On and Metrobus should purchase a Metrobus Weekly Pass.

· Proof of age and County residence is required to obtain a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card. Riders or their parents must obtain the card in person and will be required to register it.

* Effective June 1st: all Montgomery County Libraries and select Montgomery County Schools (those which have agreed to partner in this initiative)

Once a rider has a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip, passes and stored value can be loaded onto Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® cards either in person or online at SmarTrip.com. Through their online account, customers have the option of automatically purchasing Youth monthly passes for their Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® Card, which is then added to a purchaser’s card seven days before the end of every month.

· Purchase the Youth Monthly passes or add value to the Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card in person at the following locations:

· Ride On passengers with Youth monthly passes who use the express Route 70 bus will be charged an additional $2.25 for each trip. The extra charge is automatically deducted from the stored valued loaded on the Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card.

· A Youth monthly pass purchased the 1st through the 15th of any month is active for the month in which it was purchased. If the Youth Monthly pass is purchased the 16th through the end of the month, the pass will be valid for the 1st day of the following month.

·

SUMMER YOUTH PASS

New Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® Card Now Available

· Ride On is now offering a new Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card for customers 5 to 18 years of age.

· Stored value can be added to the card for usage on Metrorail, Metrobus and other transit agencies that accept SmarTrip® cards.

· Ride On youth passengers will be able to add a summer Youth pass to the new Youth Cruiser SmarTrip® card. This Youth summer pass provides unlimited rides from June 1 through August 31 for $18 for one summer. The summer pass can be purchased starting May 16 until July 31.

KIDS RIDE FREE

Kids 18 years and younger are allowed to ride any Ride On bus and most * Metrobus routes within Montgomery County without paying a fare from 2 PM until 8 PM Monday- Friday year-round. The student must show the bus operator either a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip card, a valid school ID, or the student pass issued by Ride On. Elementary students do not need an ID.

Youth riding Route 70 Express buses or Metrobus J7 and J9 will need to pay an additional charge of $2.25 in cash.

TOKENS

Ride On or Metrobus tokens are accepted for one ride. A token is valued at $1.75.

Metrobus Student tokens are not accepted on Ride On.

TRANSFERS

Ride On no longer issues or accepts paper transfers.

You must use a SmarTrip card to get free transfers from bus-to-bus, including Metrobus or Ride On.

The time limit for transferring between buses is 2 hours.

SmarTrip users receive a 50 cents discount on their rail fare when transferring from Ride On to Metrorail.

SmarTrip users receive a 50 cents discount transferring from Metrorail trains to Ride On. This means that the bus fare for SmarTrip users will be $1.25 after riding the train.

Using a SmarTrip card has many benefits:

Saves you $1.00 roundtrip when you use bus and Metrorail

You can recover the balance of your money if your SmarTrip is lost or stolen. You must register your card ahead of time to take advantage of this.

Express Route 70:

An express fare is charged on the Route 70. These are the same fares charged on the Metrobus J7 and J9.

Express Fare - Route 70 -SmarTrip or Cash $4.00

Riders with SmarTrip will get free transfers to other local routes and a 50 cent discount going to or coming from Metrorail. Riders transferring from a local regular route to an Express will have the difference of $2.25 automatically deducted from their SmarTrip card.

Ride On's Monthly Pass, Metro's Weekly Pass, or TLC will be good for $1.75 credit toward an express fare. The rider will have to pay the difference of $2.25 in cash, SmartTrip is not accepted for the "upcharge" of $2.25.

Buying FARE MEDIA

In person at these Sales Outlet Locations which includes Montgomery County Treasury, TRiPS Commuter Stores, Giant, CVS, etc.

PHONE NUMBERS

MC311 dial 311 within the County or 240-777-0311 outside the County
TTY (for hearing impaired) 301-251-4850